How to Activate and Use the Paper Tape in OS X’s Calculator App

By Jim Tanous

Dec 3rd, 2012 10:58 AM EST

Apple’s Calculator app, included in OS X, is a handy tool for performing both quick calculations as well as more advanced functions. When calculating several numbers at once, however, it can become tedious to keep track of them, especially if you make a mistake at some point in the sequence.

Thankfully, Apple includes a paper tape feature that many new (and even some veteran) Mac users have not yet discovered. To display your paper tape, press Command - T or go to Window > Show Paper Tape.

A paper tape window will appear next to your calculator and will proceed to keep track of and display previous calculations and results.

Here, for example, we’ll add up some receipts from a business trip. As we enter each dollar amount and press Return, the calculation and its solution are displayed from top to bottom in the paper tape window. If a mistake is made, or if you need to stop entering calculations to tend to something else, the paper tape makes it easy to go back to the last correct calculation and resume from there.

The paper tape will also keep track of multiple calculations as they are performed, allowing you to easily reference, or carry forward, previous results. Once all of your calculations are complete, press “Clear” at the bottom of the paper tape window to clear all entries.

Addition is most basic example of the benefits of the paper tape. Its value is enhanced further as more advanced calculations are performed.

So if you’ve ever found yourself jotting down numbers in TextEdit or, heaven forbid, on a piece of paper, stop and immediately turn on Calculator’s paper tape function!